There’s a new team in the city of Boston, and they’re fun to watch.
The Boston Legacy, an expansion team in the National Women’s Soccer League, made their debut this season. As a big soccer fan of both the men’s and women’s game, I had been waiting for Boston to get an NWSL team. Now the Swans are here — and here to stay.
I’m fortunate enough to have season tickets and have been to both home games so far. The home opener was March 14, when the Legacy hosted reigning league champion Gotham FC. More than 30,000 fans were in attendance to witness history as Boston broke the NWSL record for the largest inaugural home opener. The record didn’t last long, as the Denver Summit, another expansion team, drew more than 63,000 fans in its inaugural home opener.
Boston deserved another women’s team, and now the Legacy join the Boston Fleet and the Boston Renegades as professional women’s teams in the city.
On the pitch, the Legacy have struggled. They’ve played three games, lost all three and scored just one goal, a 72nd-minute strike from Aissata Traoré, the first in club history.
In the opener against Gotham, for a team facing the champions, the Legacy held their own, allowing just one goal and creating a few chances. Scoring, though, has been an issue. The team is generating opportunities, but in the final shot — or the final action in general — the Swans look hesitant to pull the trigger. It feels like they’re waiting for the perfect moment to pass or shoot.
Maybe it’s because they’re new teammates still learning each other’s tendencies, but sometimes a player just needs to shoot, even from a tough angle. A shot can be deflected into the net, saved and rebound to a teammate, or create another chance. There are plenty of possibilities. The defense and midfield look solid; the attack just needs to be more ruthless when the ball reaches their feet.
The Legacy are playing at Gillette Stadium and Centreville Bank Stadium in Rhode Island this year while their future home, White Stadium, is being renovated. They’ll play at Centreville Bank Stadium when the World Cup kicks off and if the New England Revolution have a game the same weekend.
Through two home games, the atmosphere has been incredible. Even when defender Bianca St-Georges was sent off for a second yellow card in the opener, the crowd applauded as she left the field and continued to cheer loudly for the team.
I’ve been to plenty of games in my life, but I’ve never owned season tickets. I’m fortunate to witness history and be part of something at its very beginning. Now when people ask which NWSL team I support, I can proudly say the Boston Legacy… since Day 1.
